Valve reveals new SteamOS Compatibility system for Non-Steam Decks like Legion Go S SteamOS — 18,000+ titles expected "out of the gate"

The Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS is set to release on May 25, 2025, and will be the very first non-Valve device to officially launch with SteamOS already installed on it.

Ahead of this gaming handheld's release, Valve has revealed a new SteamOS Compatibility system (on the Steam Community page), which will be in place for devices like Lenovo's that run SteamOS but aren't a Steam Deck.

You can think of it like Steam Deck Verification for SteamOS hardware. The goal of this system is to assist gamers in better understanding which games will run well on their compatible SteamOS gaming machines.

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS): Starting at $599.99 at Best Buy

The new Legion Go S (SteamOS) gaming handheld is expected to release on May 25, 2025. There are two configurations to choose from.

👉 See at: BestBuy.com

Over 18,000 titles are expected to be marked as SteamOS Compatible right from the start.

As an example of what this will look like, Valve posted a screenshot that reads "Our testing indicates that Portal 2 is Compatible with devices running SteamOS, based on Steam Deck compatibility results. Your experience in terms of performance and input may vary depending on your hardware."

Below that, there is a blue check mark followed by a statement that reads, "Successfully runs on SteamOS."

According to Valve, SteamOS Compatibility is awarded if a title "and all of its middleware are supported on SteamOS." Otherwise, it will be marked as "SteamOS Unsupported."

Valve says it plans to ship an update for the Steam UI and Steam Store "in the next few weeks" that will make it so users can see SteamOS Compatibility information.

The Steam Community announcement reads:

Hello! Today we are announcing a new compatibility rating system for SteamOS devices. It’s an extension of the Steam Deck Verified process, which has been a useful tool for players to make decisions around what games to purchase and play on their Steam Decks. With the Legion Go S – Powered by SteamOS shipping soon, we are expanding Deck Verified and introducing SteamOS Compatibility ratings. These new ratings will roll out over the next few weeks.

The SteamOS Compatibility system covers any device running SteamOS that’s not a Steam Deck (currently only the Legion Go S falls under this category). SteamOS Compatibility ratings are based on a subset of the Steam Deck Compatibility testing results and are meant to show at a glance whether a game and all of its middleware is supported on SteamOS. This includes features like game functionality, launcher functionality, and anti-cheat support.

If a game and all of its middleware are supported on SteamOS, we will mark it as SteamOS Compatible. If not, it’s marked as SteamOS Unsupported. Please note that this rating does not include testing results for performance and input, since we will not know (and have not tested) how all titles will run on all potential hardware. We expect over 18,000 titles on Steam to be marked SteamOS compatible out of the gate.

Steam developers don't need to take any additional action. If your title already has a Steam Deck Compatibility rating, an automated process will use that data to give it a SteamOS Compatibility rating. For titles that have not yet been tested for Steam Deck Compatibility, the same queue system applies, and we will continue testing new and old titles based on community interest. Once a new title has been tested, both Steam Deck and SteamOS ratings will be generated simultaneously. When this feature is rolled out, SteamOS Compatibility results will show up on your partner dashboard next to Steam Deck Compatibility results.

This is great news for all PC gaming handheld owners, but expect some issues

Of course, while Steam Deck Verification is helpful, it isn't always an accurate indicator of whether or not a game will run well on Valve's handheld. I'm expecting the same to be true of SteamOS Compatibility.

As Valve explained, currently, the Legion Go S SteamOS is the only official non-Valve device that runs SteamOS, but that will change when SteamOS officially releases for more devices.

This being the case, Valve cannot guarantee that every title that is compatible with SteamOS will run well on the hardware you're using. So, you'll still need to check a game's PC system requirements to see if it should run on your machine.

There are a number of pros and cons to SteamOS coming to other devices, one of the biggest being that you don't need to get a Steam Deck or Legion Go S to use it.

For instance, if you already have a laptop, desktop, or handheld, you could install SteamOS on it instead of purchasing SteamOS-specific hardware.

A SteamOS handheld that keeps getting more expensive before launch

Earlier today, I noticed that the price of the Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS had actually gone up yet again, likely due to the US-China tariff situation.

When the gaming handheld was announced back in January, Lenovo mentioned a starting MSRP of $499.99 for the Z2 Go configuration with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. However, the starting price of this handheld is now $100 higher, $599.99 at Best Buy.

Meanwhile, the beefier Z1 Extreme configuration with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD has gone up $80 from $749.99 to $829.99 at Best Buy.

This being the case, the Legion Go S SteamOS is definitely more expensive than the $399.00 256GB Steam Deck LCD and the $549.00 512GB Steam Deck OLED.

However, Lenovo's newest handheld does have some nicer features like better hand grips, a larger 8-inch screen, higher storage capacity, a second USB-C port, and more that might be more appealing to some.

You can learn more at our Steam Deck vs Legion Go S guide.

Everything's coming up SteamOS

Whether you're excited to get a Legion Go S SteamOS or are looking forward to putting this Linux-based operating system on a different device, it's good to see Valve preparing the way for SteamOS Compatibility.

It likely won't be perfect, especially not a first. But having a system that makes it a little easier to tell when a game can and cannot be played on SteamOS will be helpful.